Research Ethics Board: Information and Application Forms

PLEASE NOTE: THE RESEARCH ETHICS BOARD (REB) WILL ONLY REVIEW APPLICATIONS THAT USE CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY OF EDMONTON’S REB APPLICATION FORMS.

THE REB MEETS MONTHLY DURING FALL AND WINTER SEMESTERS. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED A MINIMUM OF 8 WEEKS BEFORE THE DESIRED COMMENCEMENT DATE OF A PROJECT.

REB Meeting Dates:

Application Deadline

REB Meeting Date

August 7, 2018

August 17, 2018

September 11, 2018

September 21, 2018

October 9, 2018

October 19, 2018

November 6, 2018

November 16, 2018

December 11, 2018

December 21, 2018

* Applications must be submitted to reb@concordia.ab.ca minimum 10 days before an REB meeting. If the deadline is missed, the application will be reviewed at the next meeting.

For information on research involving human subjects and animals, general policies on research, Academic Research Council (ARC), internal research support, teaching load reduction, and REB, please consult the policy tab on the research website.

Undergraduate Student: Course-based research

In all courses in which undergraduate students are required to carry out research on human subjects as part of their course work, the instructor must report the nature of this research to the Department Coordinator.

The Coordinator and one additional appropriate Faculty member will constitute a Departmental Ethics Review Committee, which will assess the proposed research and determine if it meets ethics requirements.

The Departmental Ethics Review Committee will report its conclusions to the Chair of the REB before the undergraduate research project is scheduled to begin.

The Chair of the REB may decide to accept the recommendation of the Departmental Ethics Review Committee or to forward the matter to the REB for REB assessment.

This policy is directed to senior undergraduate students who are conducting an independent study and research with their professors. The intent is that, as much as is possible, the relevant Department undertake the ethics review assessment and that the student or students work with a professor, who will act as supervisor of the research project. Note that Departmental reviews should not be used for research in which an undergraduate student is carrying out research that is part of a faculty member’s own research program.

This application will be reviewed by the student’s supervisor as well as by the Department Chair.

If the professor and Department Chair both approve the application, then the application is complete and does not proceed to the REB for review. The REB Chair is informed of the project and notified of the decision of the Department.

Only in the case that the Department Chair has ethical concerns about the application should the application be submitted to the REB for review.

Graduate Research

Graduate student research that involves human subjects must undergo a full review by the REB. However, it follows a two-tier procedure.

The application will first be reviewed by the student’s supervisor and one other faculty member in the student’s department.

Once the research proposal has ethics approval at the department level, it is forwarded to the REB Chair for full REB review.

Faculty members who require graduate students to conduct research on human subjects must structure assignments in such a way that they can ensure ethical guidelines are followed at all stages of the research.

Note that a Project Completion Report must be submitted upon completion of the research. If the research extends beyond one year following initial REB approval, an Annual Report must also be submitted.

Faculty Research

Faculty members planning to conduct research involving human subjects (behavioural /non-behavioural) must complete the Faculty Application Form and submit it to Concordia University of Edmonton’s REB for full review.

Note that a Project Completion Report must be submitted upon completion of the research. If the research extends beyond one year following initial REB approval, an Annual Report must also be submitted.

Those conducting science-related research should also consider NSERC guidelines and policies. Faculty members involved in medical and health research should also review Canadian Institutes of Health Research guidelines.

Other Important Information:

REB Guidelines for Storage of Research Information
All REB applicants must ensure the privacy of their research participants, and that their personal information is not improperly disclosed. The REB strongly encourages all applicants to consult and implement the REB Guidelines for Storage and Use of Personal Data.

Important Submission Deadlines
All applicants must submit their applications to Concordia University of Edmonton’s REB at least 8 weeks before they plan to commence their research. As the REB does not meet between May and September, those planning to commence their research during the summer months must submit their applications to Concordia University of Edmonton’s REB no later than March 1.

Annual report, completion report, or application for extension of REB approval
All researchers are responsible for filling out an an annual report and a completion report at the end of their research. If research will not be completed by the original estimated date, an application for extension should be submitted to the REB. The following form can be used for these reports: Annual Extension Completion Report Form

Sample Letters of Introduction and Consent Forms (All REB applicants must ensure that they have proper Letters of Introduction and Consent Forms for their research participants. Below is a Consent-Form Checklist as well as some examples of Letters of Introduction and Consent Forms)